1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a low profile connector for terminating a flat ribbon coaxial multiconductor cable, and particularly to a low profile connector with a modular insert subassembly and a grounding device that is easy to assemble and which establishes a grounding path between a grounding bar attached to the coaxial multiconductor cable and a shield of the connector.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
It is well known by those skilled in the art that, particularly for high frequency communication, a coaxial cable connector is required to terminate a coaxial multiconductor cable in order to minimize crosstalk between constituent coaxial conductors. Grounding means is required in such a connector to ground the braided coaxial conductor shields.
As disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,781,620, a conventional flat ribbon coaxial multiconductor cable connector provides a grounding bus which connects with the coaxial braidings which shield component conductors of the coaxial multiconductor cable. The grounding bus is further connected to grounding contacts of the connector, thereby preventing crosstalk between the conductors. However, the connector is difficult to assemble because the grounding bus has to be soldered to the coaxial braiding of each conductor and to the grounding contacts. The soldering process makes assembly more complicated than a simple mechanical engagement between the grounding bus and the grounding contacts. Furthermore, the grounding bus and the grounding contacts are partially insert molded in a carrier housing. The housing must be thick enough to protect the contacts from damage, which results in a connector having large dimensions. Moreover, U.S. Pat. No. 4,781,620 provides no outer shield and thus does indicate an electrical connection between the shield around the connector.
Hence, an improved electrical connector is required to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art.
A first object of the present invention is to provide a flat ribbon coaxial multiconductor cable connector with a grounding means which is easy to assemble;
A second object of the present invention is to provide a low profile flat ribbon coaxial multiconductor cable connector;
A third object of the present invention is to provide a flat ribbon coaxial multiconductor cable connector which has a shield electrically mating with a grounding means interior to the cable connector to establish a grounding path therebetween.
To achieve the above-mentioned objects, a cable connector for terminating a coaxial multiconductor cable set includes a housing, a conductive shield surrounding the housing, an insert incorporating a plurality of terminals therein, and a grounding plate fixed between the housing and the insert.
The coaxial multiconductor cable set comprises a plurality of wires and a grounding bar electrically connected to a length of bared braiding of each wire.
The housing provides a body and a mating tongue extending forwardly from the body. The body includes a front wall, a pair of sidewalls, and a top wall, together defining an opening therebetween. A pair of opposite notches is defined in the top wall. The mating tongue defines a plurality of depressions and passageways respectively in opposite sides thereof in communication with the opening.
The shield has a pair of fingers stamped in an upper surface thereof.
The insert comprises an insulative base from which the conductive terminals project forwardly in a row. A groove is defined along a length of the base for inserting the grounding bar of the cable set into, thereby forming a subassembly of the insert and the coaxial multiconductor cable set. A plurality of recesses are formed in the base and intersecting the groove. Each wire is received in a respective recess and connects with a corresponding terminal.
The grounding plate provides a plurality of grounding pads extending forward from a strip thereof and a pair of arms extending rearward from the strip.
During assembly, the shield is first mounted to the housing. The grounding plate is then simultaneously inserted into the housing with the subassembly of the insert and the coaxial multiconductor cable set so that the grounding pads of the grounding plate extend into corresponding depressions of the housing and the terminals of the insert extend into corresponding passageways of the housing. The arms of the grounding plate are located above the insert, thereby allowing for engagement with the grounding bar secured in the insert. The fingers of the shield protrude through the notches of the top wall of the housing to contact the arms of the grounding plate, thereby establishing an electrical path from the shield to the grounding bar via the grounding plate. In addition, a bottom side of the insert is coplanar with a bottom side of the sidewalls of the housing, thereby functioning as a bottom wall of the housing. Therefore, the height of the cable connector is minimized.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present embodiment when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.